A World of Watchers by Joseph Kastner
A World of Watchers (First Edition in Pictorial Dust Jacket)
An Informal History of American Birdwatching, Illustrated with Watercolours by Louis Agassiz Fuertes
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: A World of Watchers
- Author: Joseph Kastner
- Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, New York
- Publication Date: 1986
- ISBN-10: 0394528697
- Edition Details: First Edition.
- Binding: Publisher's dark blue cloth boards with a lighter blue panel to the front board and gilt lettering, in a pictorial dust jacket.
- Physical Format: Octavo-size hardcover. Illustrated with line drawings and eight pages of watercolours by Louis Agassiz Fuertes.
- Language: English
Official Condition Report
- The Book: Very Good (VG)
- Exterior / Boards: The dark blue cloth boards are clean, with a lighter blue panel and gilt title to the front board and no marks visible. The spine is protected by the dust jacket.
- Interior: The text block is clean and tight. The fore-edge shows some light toning or foxing. The front end-paper is clean and the text pages examined carry no markings.
- The Dust Jacket: Present. The pictorial dust jacket is bright overall, with small chipping at the head of the spine and a price/ISBN label affixed to the back panel. It is protected in a durable archival-type plastic cover.
Synopsis & Historical Value
Published by Alfred A. Knopf in New York in 1986, A World of Watchers is an anecdotal history of birdwatching in the United States. Joseph Kastner follows the rise of both scientific and popular bird study from its early beginnings to the modern enthusiasm for birding.
The book focuses on the men and women who led the way and on the clubs and organisations they founded, including the Audubon Society, and on those who made Americans more aware of the natural world. It is illustrated with line drawings and with watercolours by the celebrated bird artist Louis Agassiz Fuertes.
A 1986 review in American Heritage judged it a happy addition to any bird watcher's library. This First Edition in its pictorial dust jacket will suit collectors of natural history and ornithological literature.
Author Profile: Joseph Kastner
Joseph Kastner was an American nature writer and a former editor of Life. He is best known for A Species of Eternity, a study of early American naturalists published by Knopf in 1977.
That book was a finalist for the National Book Award in history in 1978. A World of Watchers continues his interest in the people who shaped the study and appreciation of nature.
A World of Watchers Joseph Kastner · history of American birdwatching · Kastner first edition Knopf 1986 · Louis Agassiz Fuertes illustrated book · Audubon Society history book · ornithology book with dust jacket
